Bearing Condition Monitoring Methods for Electric Machines: A General Review

Bearing faults account for approximately half of all electric machine failures. Bearing condition monitoring is of practical importance. In this paper, up to seven different bearing condition monitoring methods in terms of the measuring medium are reviewed, with an emphasis on their implementation considerations. The major advantages and disadvantages of those methods are also summarized. This paper attempts to provide a general guide for choosing proper bearing condition monitoring strategies in practice for electric machines.